Rolling on East

March - May 2024

Rolling about across the continent looking for an exit Read more

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Traveler Rolling on East
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- May 15, 2024, 3:48pm
- ☁️ 12 °C
- Altitude: 903 m
- France Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Saint-Pierre-d'Albigny Les Garniers Col du Frêne 45.590814, 6.13796745°35’27” N 6°8’17” E
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Day 71
Massif du Bauges
May 15 in France ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C
The little sunshine break was over. It was raining again, and looked like it would continue. But the worst of the storm had passed south into Italy. So I prepared my bags and Schopper for the road.

After a lovely evening of feeling giddy about our adventures, I bid farewell to Elodie again and rode off into the rain. It was warm and soft, with a lovely earthy smell heavy in the farmlands. I spent a long time processing the phantasmagoria of mountains and skies and beauty that this last week had been.

I cycled towards the Massif du Bauges. There I met Isabelle & Jacques at Bourgneuf, who are veteran mountain lovers. They offered to take me paragliding, but the weather was still no good. After a nice evening of mixed veg curry, I rode on into the rain, climbing up to Col de Frènes and down into the Bauges plateau.Read more
Traveler On se demande bien pourquoi 😉
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Traveler Rolling on East
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- May 12, 2024, 1:45pm
- ☁️ 19 °C
- Altitude: 1,215 m
- France Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Saint-Martin-de-Clelles Trézanne Col de Papavet 44.855025, 5.58468344°51’18” N 5°35’5” E
Day 68
Camp and descent
May 12 in France ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
We planned to do the entire 18 km circuit around the mount. So we clambered down. Elodie's sharp ears made us peek over the edge - there was a family of Chamoix goat heading up the slope for the night. Great wildlife moment!

We descended and found a campsite near a river. We set up for the night. I had not brought a tent, so was going to be sleeping in the open - a great view through the leaves to a star-filled sky. Will there be aurora borealis today? I fell asleep before finding out.

Next morning we walked on to complete the long loop around the other side of the mountain. It was a tiring affair, but we were glad and proud to have completed it. I silently spoke words of love to this cool rock. We sat in the jumpy to sip tea and stare at the mountains before heading back to town.Read more
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Traveler Rolling on East
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- May 11, 2024, 5:45pm
- ⛅ 18 °C
- Altitude: 1,716 m
- France Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Chichilianne Richardière Mont Aiguille 44.840758, 5.54491744°50’27” N 5°32’42” E
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Day 67
Tour de Mont Aiguille
May 11 in France ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
We took the hiking route around the iconic Mont Aiguille. This tall multi-spire pinnacles simply towers over the rest of the landscape. The route passed through pine forest and then birch until it goes over the tree line. The whole time this giant rock is getting closer and closer, till I can't see it's edges anymore. A surreal experience.

Finally when at the top of the route, I caught a bit of rock madness and started clambering straight up towards the rock. I had to go touch it! I fell upwards in the inverted gravity and magnetism of this magnificent rock until I was standing up against it. We got fantastic views from up there that can't be captured in pictures. Just beautiful.Read more
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Traveler Rolling on East
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- May 10, 2024, 8:49pm
- ☀️ 15 °C
- Altitude: 765 m
- France Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Le Pivol 44.906481, 5.81223944°54’23” N 5°48’44” E
Day 66
Trek interception
May 10 in France ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C
The plan was to meet up with Elodie, who was going to trek this sunny weekend around an iconic hiking route. After more cycling than I had anticipated, I made it to our meeting point.

It was great to see her familiar, friendly face again. While eating pizza and watching the sunset, the sky turned magical and we were super pleased to just be there for. Later, we were wondering what that weird red and purple glow in the sky is. We were sitting there watching the Aurora borealis! I found out about the geomagnetic storm only the next day while riding to the trailhead of Mont Aiguille.Read more
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Traveler Rolling on East
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- May 10, 2024, 4:04pm
- ☁️ 17 °C
- Altitude: 1,349 m
- France Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Chantelouve Les Sciauds Col d’Ornon 45.013283, 5.96858345°0’48” N 5°58’7” E
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Day 66
Down and up to Col de Ornon
May 10 in France ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
The morning after was weird. I woke up well before sunrise - because I was too warm! I was over-prepared with my sleeping clothes. Oh well, I watched the sublime sunrise arrive.

Once it was bright and warm, I got ready to ride. I had a meet up planned, but two valleys over there.

The way back down was just amazing! The sun shining on my back as I freewheeled down the giant slopes and swung around the hairpin bends - what a delight! This went on for 1.5 hours till I reached the valley below.

Now, a little ride along the river and a small cut across the forest to get to the next valley. Or so I thought. I got bushtracked! That forest path was nuts: steep, uneven and made of wet slate slabs that slipped when I pushed Schopper.

Luckily, I was in a good mood and kept going... And soon enough I had climbed Col du Ornon.Read more
Traveler 😱
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Traveler Rolling on East
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- May 9, 2024, 5:13pm
- ⛅ 11 °C
- Altitude: 2,061 m
- France Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Saint-Sorlin-d'Arves Saint-Sorlin-dArves Col de la Croix-de-Fer 45.227347, 6.20409445°13’38” N 6°12’15” E
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Day 65
At the Iron Cross
May 9 in France ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C
The Croix de Fer (Iron Cross) mountain pass is where this road leads, up at 2070 m. On the way up I found out that the next mountain pass is closed. There was no way forward. I decided to climb up anyway - with all my bags.

It was a helluva climb up, going on and on. The mountain scenery was incredible, snow-covered peaks and fantastic rock structures. After 6 hours or more of this I finally made it to my first high Alpine pass. Yeah!

I was not ready to turn around yet. I had earned this view. I looked around and decided to camp up here on the pass, surrounded by these new icy peaks. What a stunning sunset!Read more
Traveler GRANDIOS ......Leistung ....Berge.😇............Übernachtung
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Traveler Unglaublich tolle Bilder und Eindrücke. Uff, was für eine Fahrt😅… Respekt Arjun. Die Belohnung, so zu übernachten, hast du dir mehr als verdient. Ein Mega Erlebnis ❣️ Pass weiter gut auf dich auf. ☺️
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Traveler Was für eine Aussicht 🤩
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Traveler The cotopaxi is lasting you bro
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Traveler Rolling on East
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- May 9, 2024, 1:40pm
- ⛅ 14 °C
- Altitude: 1,349 m
- France Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Saint-Colomban-des-Villards Cugnet Montagne des Sept Laux 45.201631, 6.07683945°12’6” N 6°4’37” E
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Day 65
Up to Grand Maison
May 9 in France ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
I'm in Tour de France territory now: at sniffing distance from Alpes Huez with its mythical 21 bends - a mecca for cyclists. Luckily, I'm not a cyclist and don't care about the tour.

So I decided to go up a more scenic route of the 'Grand Alpes' instead. This was a beautiful sunny day (finally) and the climb.... well kept going on all day. At one point the road was barred because the mountain pass is still closed - but well, you can just cycle past the barricades. Many cyclists are on the road today because it's a holiday and sunny.

Soon they all left me behind with my loaded panniers, and I just pedalled on and on... riding past glaciers, snow banks, rock falls and water falls on the way up past the barrage Grand Maison. This was a desolate and beautiful mountain country!Read more
Traveler Verrückte Straßenführung!!!
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Traveler Rolling on East
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- May 8, 2024, 7:18pm
- ☁️ 14 °C
- Altitude: 608 m
- France Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Livet-et-Gavet 45.100903, 5.91647245°6’3” N 5°54’59” E
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Day 64
Belle Belledonne
May 8 in France ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
The Belledonne mountains on both sides of the road from Sechilienne are so sheer and prominent, that the Romanche river has cut only space enough for one road. So we all - bicycle, motorbike, car, campervan, horse wagon - have to share the same path.

These rock giants, like Masdif du Taillefer, are so big and so near that rolling along them feels like a hazy dream. Surreal ride.

I came across a sign that said "passerelle Himalayenne". Not sure what that means but Himalayan? I had to check it out. It turned out to be a suspended rope bridge, but made of steel ropes. This takes out the danger, unlike the ones in the Himalayas.

It was a beautiful spot, so I decided to set up camp for the night. The river hissed and gurgled. The sun set and the stars pirouetted overhead between the mountain gorges.Read more
Traveler OMG, wie wundervoll 🥰
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Traveler Einfach nur schön! Was gibt es bloß für schöne Ecken in Europa. ❤️
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Traveler 🥰....was für eine Wunderwelt und so ein schönes Plätzchen zum Schlafen .......weiterhin gute Fahrt lieber Arjun
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Traveler Rolling on East
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- May 8, 2024, 2:24pm
- ☁️ 11 °C
- Altitude: 1,061 m
- France Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Roche Béranger Forêt Domaniale de Prémol 45.1028, 5.84299245°6’10” N 5°50’35” E
Day 64
Grinding Montgardier
May 8 in France ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C
I know enough about (weather) models to not trust them fully. So I decided I'm going to stand my ground and check for my passage later. But for now, the rain had let up, so it was time to ride again and stand my ground... over there. I decided to ride into the mountains south of here in Isère.

With a helpful lift up to Revel from Elodie, I started riding on. It is Victory memorial day, so the uniformed French are out marking the honor of their war efforts. This region was famous for the resistance against the fascists.

The resistance I faced was the long uphill on the Monteé de Chamrousse up to Montgardier. A few days of rest had already made my muscles lazy. I understood them - looking up ahead - why was I riding into the clouds and rain? When I got up there to 1300 m, my sweat started to steam off my back.

I had learnt: uphill means downhill! The ride down after crossing Col Luitel (lake was covered in mist) was a thrilling slide through a green tunnel going pretty much straight down! I careened down, blinking into the rain, with whoops and squeals for a good 20 minutes, back till I was at 350 m altitude. Now THAT was proper payback!

And here in Sechilienne is the road going east into the Oisans.Read more
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Traveler Rolling on East
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- May 5, 2024
- ☁️ 20 °C
- Altitude: 245 m
- France Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Le Versoud Grenoble-Le Versoud 45.203769, 5.83812245°12’14” N 5°50’17” E
Day 61–64
Domène d'Elodie
May 5 in France ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
I thought it would be good to have some company and looked for a host. Elodie offered a place right away and so I rode to Domène to be greeted by her and her boys Marcel & Alexie.

With Elodie, it was like being with a good old friend I just had not met yet. We spoke of travels, her two-year bicycle tour, of families and friendships won and lost, and many things in life. We cooked and ate and walked and talked more. A wonderful home to be off the road.

It started to rain and... it rained on. So I stayed on and on... for 3 nights. A good amount of it watching the weather build up - my planned path will be the rainiest place in Europe for the next 10 days.

So where do I go now?Read more
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